Alleged Cyberstalking: Court Warns Sowore Over Absence, Threatens Arrest Warrant

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday warned that it may revoke the bail granted to activist, politician and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, if he fails to appear at the next hearing in his ongoing cybercrime trial.
The court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, also said it could issue a bench warrant for Sowore’s arrest to compel his appearance should he fail to attend the next court session.
The warning followed submissions by the prosecuting counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), who informed the court that Sowore was absent despite evidence that he had been served with a hearing notice through his team of lawyers.
At Thursday’s proceedings, neither Sowore nor any member of his legal team—reportedly about 30 lawyers—appeared in court.
Kehinde told the court that the matter was scheduled for the defence to conclude its cross-examination of the first prosecution witness.
He said records from the court registry confirmed that the hearing notice had been duly served on the defendant through his lawyers, just as the prosecution had also received notification.
According to the prosecutor, there was no explanation for the defendant’s absence, noting that Sowore, who is expected to be present at every sitting of the court, neither appeared nor provided any reason for his absence, along with that of his legal team.
Citing Section 352(1) and (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Kehinde urged the court to revoke the defendant’s bail and issue a bench warrant for his immediate arrest and production in court.
In a brief ruling, Justice Umar confirmed that Sowore had indeed been served with the hearing notice through his lawyers. However, he noted that the defendant had consistently attended previous proceedings since the trial began late last year.
The judge also observed that earlier adjournments in the matter had been sought by both the prosecution and the defence.
Giving the defendant the benefit of the doubt, the court declined the prosecution’s request for the time being, noting that it was the first time Sowore had been absent since the commencement of the trial.
Justice Umar, however, warned that the court would not hesitate to revoke the defendant’s bail and issue an arrest warrant if he fails to appear at the next hearing.
The case was adjourned to March 16 for continuation of trial, with the court directing that a fresh hearing notice be issued to the defence.
Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations that he made false claims against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing him as a criminal in posts shared on his accounts on X and Facebook.